1. Technical Field
The field of the invention is bathing fixtures, and more particularly, fixtures which employ recirculation of the bathing water to an elevated spout.
2. Background Art
Showers which combine a foot whirlpool in conjunction with an overhead shower nozzle and a seat are known. Such a unit is available from the Kohler Co. as the Whitecap shower and foot bath whirlpool. There is also known in the prior art a bathing fixture wherein the bathing water is recirculated to an overhead shower. This is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,724,553 where bathing water is recirculated to rotating nozzle structures.
"Sheet flow" spouts, where water cascades in a waterfall rather than spray fashion, have also been used in bathing areas. Such a bathing fixture is also available from Kohler Co. as the Mastershower tower. However, this system uses line pressure water as its water supply source.
The prior art does not provide a bathing fixture wherein the bathing water is recirculated to a sheet flow spout so as to afford a sheet-like cascading waterfall. A difficult problem is presented in designing such a system is that pumped recirculating water is of unsteady pressure, and this does not readily lend itself to use in a spout that forms a sheet of water (as distinguished from sprays through multiple holes).